Bern, January 02 (QNA) - The toll of Thursday's explosion at a ski resort in southwestern Switzerland's Alps is 40 people killed and 115 injured, many critically, Swiss authorities have said.
Frederick Gisler, head of police in the Valais canton, said authorities are still verifying the identities of the victims amid the scale of the disaster.
President Guy Parmelin described the incident as one of the worst tragedies Switzerland has experienced, adding that New Year celebrations have turned into a period of national mourning.
Officials said the blast was caused by a fire, ruling out any deliberate attack.
Stefan Ganzer, Valais security adviser, said the explosion was significant and destroyed part of the resort.
The number of casualties exceeded the capacity of the main Valais hospital, prompting transfers of patients to hospitals in Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and France.
At least nine French nationals were injured, with eight others missing, and three were hospitalized in Lyon and Paris, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
About 15 Italians were also injured, with a similar number reported missing, the Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fire.